


King of Scars One Shots

by Gimmedafood



Category: Grishaverse - Fandom, King of Scars - Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: AU, F/M, M/M, many many AUs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-05-02 07:54:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19194787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gimmedafood/pseuds/Gimmedafood
Summary: A bunch of One Shots, based off of writing prompts and Leigh Bardugo’s amazing writing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wafflesandkruge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesandkruge/gifts), [dregstrash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dregstrash/gifts).



> First time, please no hate. Constructive criticism welcomed, please tell me what I can do better.

Zoyalai Hospital Prompt from wafflesandkruge. 

 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” Nikolai murmured to himself as he ran with her limp body in his arms.

 

He was just a block away from his family’s private hospital, and he just had to make it there before she bleeds out. They’d just been in an awful hit-and-run car accident, and their car had been t-boned from the passengers side. Zoya’s side.

 

She’d been crushed against the door, her leg snapped, multiple ribs probably broken, and too many cuts to count. Nikolai had gotten out easy, and since there was no time to call an ambulance, he’d pulled her out himself. All that fireman’s training his dad had insisted on really helped.

 

He’d laid her on the ground once he’d gotten her out of the decimated car, and had bound her wounds as best he could before picking her up and starting the three block run to his family’s hospital.

 

“Zoya, hold on please, we just need a few more minutes.” He muttered to her half-conscious form. He received only a moan of pain in return.

 

He was extra careful maneuvering her through the doors of the hospital, careful to keep her leg stable and keep her from hitting anything.

 

“Mr. Lanstov!” One of the front desk employees yelped as she saw him come in. “What happened!? Are you hurt?”

 

Nikolai looked up, a hard glare in his eyes. “Are you blind? Do I look like the one hurt here?” He snapped, as the nurse came out from behind the desk.

 

“I need a doctor for her. Her name is Zoya Juris Nazyalensky.” He said, standing in the middle of the pristine white lobby while Zoya’s blood dripped down his arms and onto the floor.

 

“Mr. Lanstov, we cannot. Only family can be admitted here. Miss Nazyalensky is not listed as family in our data base.” The lady said, frowning.

 

“Are you psychotic!?” Nikolai yelped, his eyes widening in disbelief. “She’s fucking bleeding out on your floor and you can’t admit her!?”

 

The nurse shook her head, and pulled up a phone, typing something in. “I can call the public hospital to come pick her up if you would like, Mr. Lanstov.”

 

“You’re crazy.” Nikolai shook his head, and shifted Zoya in his arms. “Call the priestess from next door.” He ordered, laying Zoya out on the floor and grabbing some of the tissues the front desk had.

 

The nurse ran outside immediately, and fetched the priestess from the church next door, basically grabbing her in the middle of her paperwork and dragging her into the hospital.

 

“What is the meaning of- Oh, dear!” The priestess gasped as she saw Zoya’s prone body on the floor of the hospital.

 

“Ms. Ashme. Please, I need you to marry us.”

 

The priestess furrowed her eyebrows, clearly recognizing the man crouched on the floor.

 

“Mr. Lanstov? You need me to do what?”

 

“I need you to marry us. I know it’s sudden, but she might die if she doesn’t get help, and my Father’s stupid policy won’t let anyone who isn’t family be admitted for care.” Nikolai huffed out in one short breath as he pulled Zoya into his arms, keeping her off the ground, and making sure she was still conscious.

 

“Zo? Hey, I’m going to need you to talk to me in just a bit, so I can get you all fixed up, okay love?”

 

The priestess could barely hear the answer from the lady in Nikolai’s arms, but it sounded like she said something along the lines of ‘Fuck off, Lanstov. I’m fine.’

 

Nikolai chuckled, and the priestess snapped into action, moving to stand in front of the two young adults. “By the power vested in me by the country of Ravka, do you, Nikolai Sturmhond Lanstov, take Miss Zoya Juris Nazyalensky as your lawfully wedded wife?”

 

Nikolai nodded, and said, “I do.” He adjusted Zoya’s body in his arms, making sure that she was still awake. 

 

The priestess swallowed and continued, sure that this was the strangest marriage ceremony she’d ever preformed. “And Miss Zoya Juris Nazyalensky, do you take Mr. Nikolai Sturmhond Lanstov as your lawfully wedded husband?”

 

Nikolai turned to Zoya, and murmured in her ear, “Zo, I need you to say ‘I do’ so that I can get you treated.”

 

The priestess moved closer, trying to catch the injured woman’s reply.

 

“I do.” 

 

It was barely a breath of air, but she’d said it, so now she could continue the ceremony.

 

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.” 

 

Nikolai bent slightly and pressed a kiss to Zoya’s lips for the briefest second. Then his head snapped up to rest on the nurse.

 

“Now, can you get her a doctor? I’ll take care of all the paperwork.” His golden eyes were hard and determined, yet full of love for the woman he held in his arms, who was still dripping a tide of dark red blood onto the floor. 

 

The entire lobby had the metallic tang of blood in the air, and Nikolai looked like he was wearing a red suit with the amount of blood soaking his clothes. 

 

The nurse nodded and ran into one of the doors beside her desk, appearing a few seconds with a doctor and a stretcher on her tail.

 

Nikolai set Zoya on the stretcher, and was dragged away by the front desk nurse and the priest to finalize paperwork, because getting married in a hospital is not always the most organized.

 

_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_

 

Three days later.

 

_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_

 

 _Where the fuck am I? _Was the first thought that echoed through Zoya’s head when she woke up in a pure white room, covered with a blanket and attached to a machine that wouldn’t stop its infernal  _beeping_.

 

She shifted her head to the right, seeing Nikolai splayed out on a bed with a small band-aid on his forehead. His fingers were laced with hers, and he was dead asleep.

 

She looked to her left, seeing that her arm was attached to an IV pole and she had a heartbeat monitor clipped to her finger.

 

_That’s what’s beeping_.

 

She tried to sit up, growling in annoyance as her body protested. Her hand brushed the little button by her bedside, and a few seconds later, the door to the ward opened and a doctor walked in.

 

“Ah, Ms. Lastov. Good to see that you’re awake.” He walked over to her bedside and began checking her recovery.

 

Zoya was still a bit high on pain meds, so she didn’t initially recognize what wasn’t normal with the doctor’s statement.

 

She hummed, and blinked her navy eyes in the doctor’s direction sleepily, before her body gave up and she sunk back into unconsciousness.

 

_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_

 

Two days later.

 

_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_£_

 

She woke up when someone pulled the needle out of her arm.

 

“Ow!” She yelped, jerking out of her sleep and rubbing the spot where her IV drip had been.

 

“Oh good! I’m glad you’re awake, Ms. Lanstov.”

 

_Ms. Lanstov? What the fuck?_

 

“What did you call me?”

 

“Ms. Lanstov. Do you need anything, I was just about to bring the doctor and some food for you. You’ve been sleeping for about five days.” The nurse said, organizing the little table that had a variety of needles on it.

 

“Five days!?” Zoya said, surprised. She didn’t think that the crash had been that bad. The nurse started to walk away, towards the door of the ward.

 

“Wait!” Zoya called, “Can you bring me some jello?” She asked, pouting, and her blue eyes widening. She was going to play up this hurt thing for as much free food as she could.

 

“Of course, Ms. Lanstov.” The nurse said, and left, the swinging door clicking into place behind her.

 

_Nikolai has a lot of explaining to do. Ms. Lanstov, the fuck?_

 

|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+

 

After the doctors had left and the nurse had assured Zoya that she would be released in a day, she was left alone, with a convenient pair of crutches left next to her bed.

 

As soon as she was sure she was completely alone, Zoya texted Nikolai, who was staying in a different room, to come meet her.

 

She swung her legs off of the bed, being careful of her broken one, but she’d been hurt badly before and she knew what she was doing.

 

She grabbed her crutches, being very careful to not tear any of her stitches or mess up her ribs as she stood up, leaning on the crutches. She quickly made her way to the door of the ward, limping down the clean hallways towards where she knew Nikolai would come from.

 

She turned a corner, catching sight of him making his way down the corridor. He looked as handsome as ever, his clothes clean and pressed, and his hair perfectly styled.

 

“Zo!” He yelled down the hall as he spotted her standing there. He started running towards her, his hair bouncing with every step he took.

 

“What the hell are you doing out of bed!? You’re still hurt!” He lowered his voice as he came up beside her, reaching out a gentle hand to cup her cheek.

 

Zoya deigned to answer, and instead lifted her hand and slapped him hard across his perfect face.

 

“OW!” Nikolai yelped, doubling over and clutching the side of his face. Zoya could see the red outline of one of her slim fingers already forming.

 

“What the hell was that for?” He looked up, his eyes in puppy-dog mode.

 

“Ms. Lanstov?” She snarled, convincingly faking anger. “What the fuck, Nikolai?”

 

He straightened up, a sheepish look in his eyes and opened his mouth to explain. Zoya cut him off, her tone seething.

 

“What were you thinking? Forcing me to marry against my will? I can’t believe you, Lanstov. I thought you were better than this.” She hissed her last insult between her teeth, watching as Nikolai seemed to shrink into himself in shame.

 

“Zo...I... I had to. They wouldn’t let you be treated if you weren’t family, because my dad is selfish and stupid, and I didn’t think that you’d make it to the public hospital in time to be treated. I called the priestess over and she married us in the lobby.” He paused, taking in a deep breath. Zoya started to say something, but before she could. Nikolai continued his explanation.

 

“Zo, I was so scared. I didn’t want to lose you. It looked so bad. The whole side of the car was crushed, and your leg was shattered. You had cuts all over you, and one of your ribs was through your skin.”

 

Zoya’s stomach turned as she listened to Nikolai describing her injuries.

 

“I pulled you out of there and started running towards my hospital, and when I got here they said they couldn’t admit you. I was furious, I wasn’t thinking straight. You were bleeding out, my clothes were soaked, there was a puddle on the lobby floor, and you were barely breathing.”

 

He paused for a second, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. He reached a hand up to her face and cupped her cheek softly. Zoya let herself lean into his palm, her eyes sliding closed.

 

“I asked you to stay awake and you mumbled something like ‘Fuck off, Lanstov. I’m fine’ even when you clearly weren’t.”

 

His hand fell from her cheek, and Zoya felt a tear slide down her skin when he said that. 

 

“We went through the ceremony, and I’m sorry for tricking you, but there wasn’t anything else I could do that would have saved you.”

 

He looked up at her, tears slipping down his beautiful face and shrugged halfheartedly. Zoya tucked her crutches secure under her arms as she freed her hands while he started talking again.

 

“I’m so sorry, Zoy-!” 

 

She grabbed the lapels of his beautiful jacket, pressed her mouth against his, and the world vanished around them.

 

Their kiss was all chapped lips and the salt of tears and the very faint hint of hours ago toothpaste. And there was that taste of  _beautiful_ - _genuine_ - _adoration_ and  _crazy_ - _mad_ - _up_ - _the_ - _wall_ - _and_ - _all_ - _those_ - _flavors_ of love that sang through their minds as loud as their pounding heartbeats and electric touches.

 

Zoya’s thin fingertips touched the back of Nikolai’s neck and the skin sparked with the contact. Nikolai twined his fingers in the thick strands of Zoya’s loose hair and kissed her harder.

 

It wasn’t too much and it wasn’t too little and in the end it was just a million types of beautiful.

 

Zoya pulled away, staying an inch apart, pink-faced from the rush and buzz of that  _first_ _kiss_ _moment_ . Because really, this was their first kiss and their hearts burst a little along the seams because of the feeling they just couldn’t quite contain.

 

“That was a good idea.” Zoya breathed, her breath hot against the skin of Nikolai’s neck.

 

“One of my better ones, yeah.” He breathed back, still stunned from their kiss.

 

They stayed there for a little while longer, before Nikolai insisted that Zoya go back to bed, and scooped her up in his arms, crutches and all, and carried her back to her room.

 

She was released a few days later, and at their first diner out with their friends, Nikolai formally proposed, making their friends squeal, and for Zoya to laugh and say yes.

 

They got married for real five days later in the hospital lobby, with all of their friends, and a select few family members.

 

They would always remember the hospital as the place that they were married, both formally and while bleeding out. Nikolai insisted on framing one of the security tapes of Zoya bleeding out on the floor as their wedding photo.

 

It made them laugh when ever it was brought up, and was a great story for their kids when they were old enough.

 

Zoya kept the pair of crutches she was given, though she would never tell Nikolai that, and when Genya and Nina found them, she made them swear to secrecy, much to their amusement.

 

Nikolai’s accidental marriage definitely turned out for the best.


	2. ‘You don’t want to do that.’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short something of the I-don’t-even-know category. Hope you enjoy!

“You don’t want to do that.” Nikolai told his captors as they set up a table, some of the younger soldiers following to lay various instruments of damaging purpose on its surface.

The man who was holding him back laughed while the others prepared a chair for him to be questioned in. 

“And why is that, Your Highness?” He asked, yanking his hands behind his back roughly. Nikolai didn’t flinch, letting them rough him up.

“Because.”

The man laughed, pushing Nikolai to his knees. He fell, his shoulder and head slamming into the cold concrete of the floor. He groaned in pain, closing his eyes and curling around his stomach as his captor aimed a hard kick at his ribs.

“Because? Because what? Why shouldn’t I make sure that pretty face of yours never gets you another lover ever again?”

Nikolai coughed, feeling the blood rise out of his throat. The Fjerdan smiled wickedly, hauling Nikolai to his feet by his hair.

He threw him into a chair, tying his hands and feet to the wood. He pushed the chair back, leaning it against the wall. He choose a short knife from the collection of weapons on the table in the cell.

“So...Your Highness. You have three chances to tell me what you and your lovely General are planning before I cut out your eyes.”

“What do you want to know?” Nikolai asked, keeping his voice light and friendly. “There are a number of things me and General Nazyalensky are planning.”

The man interrogating him looked up, a twisted smile on his scarred face. Nikolai knew where he was, a low level Fjerdan war camp on the very edge of Ravka’s border.

His guard, quiet idiotically, had not searched Nikolai for trackers or any weapons on his immediate person, leaving him with the smallest of small knives in his boot, and of course the tracker that Zoya had tagged him with the minute he had returned from his first mission.

“Why don’t you start with where you are going to attack next?” The guard said, twirling the knife through his fingers with the ease of long practice.

“Well, we were planning to attack our problem of the Grisha-hate in Ravka, and then we were going to work on poverty rates, restoring our economy, and-“

The man cut him off, slicing a cut across his cheek. Nikolai hissed at the unexpected pain, and turned his head away.

“Stop bullshiting.” The man spat, his words hissing through his teeth like a snakes venom. He lowered the blade, setting it dangerously close to Nikolai’s perfect right eye.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Nikolai said, trying to keep as still as he could.

“Why is that?” 

The concrete underneath them trembled, causing the man to pull away from Nikolai and look around. They heard a distant scream, then many more, each one louder that the last. 

They heard the shriek of wind ripping through the corridors and the crunch of bodies being thrown against walls. Nikolai felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck, and goosebumps ripple down his body as the charge of imminent lightning and the smell of ozone filled the formerly sterile air.

He heard the dull thrum of electricity flowing throughout the building, and lifted his feet as far off of the metal plate they’d been resting on a he could.

One jaw-rattling, eardrum-shattering crash and boom later and the reason for the screams of pain and desperation appeared at the end of the hall.

“That is why.” Nikolai said to his captor as the man attempted to fight the persistent fingers of wind that ripped at his clothes, trying to bring him to the figure at the door.

Zoya stepped through the doorway, the man who’d been so desperately clutching the metal doorframe being dragged by his collar, his body limp in her hand. It was a testament to Zoya’s immense strength that she could drag a man almost twice her size with little to no effort.

She threw the man on the floor next to Nikolai, and flicked her wrist decisively. A blade of water appeared in her palm, and she cut his bonds, helping him to his feet as his legs cramped harshly, a product of being trapped in the same uncomfortable position for hours.

Once he was able to stand solidly by his lonesome, Zoya picked up the man on the floor, flicking her fingers and sending an extra shock of electricity through him, partly to keep him unconscious, and partly for fun.

Nikolai smiled, Zoya’s murderous side was almost as fun as her sweet side, but if he had to pick, he’d take the one that wasn’t trying to kill him.

“Baby.” He cooed, pulling her hand towards him. She turned, narrowing her eyes to glare at him harshly. 

“Dumbass.” She snapped back, her hand resting on his chest. 

“I love you.” He hummed softly, as she walked away. He grabbed her hand again when she didn’t answer and spun her into his arms.

“Nikolai,” she began, about to ask him what he was doing, but then he was kissing her and every word died on her lips.

He was forceful, heated, and he kept her there long enough for their kiss to be considered passionate.

He felt her delicate fingers glide through his golden curls and pull him closer, making him feel the warmth of her body against his.

He pulled away, keeping his forehead pressed gently against hers, even if he had to lean down a bit to do so.

“I love you.” He breathed, his head falling from hers to her shoulder, his lips leaving burning trails across her skin.

“I love you too.” She murmured back, pulling away from him and directing a bolt of lightning into the body that had started to stir next to them. 

“Just please, if you are going to be captured, make it a little easier for me to get to you. This building was annoyingly twisted.”

Nikolai’s loud laugh filled the concrete hall as he looped an arm around Zoya’s waist and drew her into his side.

They walked out of the building just like that; the king, his arm wrapped around a petite General, and large, blond body dragging on the floor behind them.


	3. Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short, somewhat mature Zoyalai oneshot. Hope you enjoy!

She’d never been one for trysts  in the woods, but sometimes you see an irresistible pair of hazel eyes, and then find yourself pressed against rough bark, fingers buried in flaxen blonde curls.

 

A sigh breaks from her lips as his descend over her neck, slow and teasing so her pulse thuds and her breathing quickens. He chuckles against her ear and murmurs, “Alright there, Nazyalensky?”

 

Tugging at his hair a bit harder, drawing a gasp from him and throwing off his balance enough that she’s able to press _him_ against  another tree and preform her own ministrations. She presses a few heated kisses against his lips, their breaths mingling as his fingers loosen the pins that hold her hair in place.

 

After working her way toward his ear, she nips at the lobe, “I’d hope by now that you know my name.”

 

“Course I do,” he grunts as her hands yank his shirttails free of his jacket and slacks. “ _Zoya_ \-  I know both parts.”

 

His fingers trip over the pearl buttons lining her spine, and she nearly looses her train of thought, breath catching. “So far it seems you’ve got  _half_ of it right, Nikolai.”

 

Slowly, he slides his fingers down her bare arm, gripping her palm and bringing it to press to his lips, then tilting it so that her ring glints in the moonlight. “Zoya  _Lanstov_. ”

 

She grips his collar, pressing her grin against his, short and sweet this time as they stumble a bit further away from the party. “I’d really like to ravish you right here; but we _do_ have  guests.”

 

“As best man, I made it perfectly clear that keeping everyone busy should we ‘disappear’ was part of he and Genya’s detailed duties,” Nikolai breathes, pulling her closer by her waist as he braces his free arm against the tree trunk.

 

“Sounds official.” 

 

“Did you really think I’d give Kaz unchecked authority?”

 

Zoya grips him and tugs him further towards her. “Excellent point. You’ll make a good father.”

 

“Eager to make a contribution to the Lanstov line of blood with me?”

 

Groaning as he resumes his exploration of her collarbone, Zoya gasps, small hands finding his belt buckle. “I wouldn’t be opposed to a practice go of it.”

 


	4. Zoyalai Alternate Olympic AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loosely based off of the prompts by Wafflesandkruge, (the absolute queen, btw). Hope you enjoy!

**_FYI: Zoya attended her first Olympic Games when she was 16. The year is 2022. Zoya is 24 years old, Nikolai is 25. Zoya has been to 3 Olympic Games, and this is Nikolai’s first._ **

 

**_Chamonix Winter Olympics 2022: Events to Watch_ **

 

**_Return of the Little Dragon_ **

 

_All eyes will be on the return of Zoya Nazyalensky (RUS), this year. Nicknamed the ‘Little Dragon’ by her fans, Nazyalensky became a sporting legend after her spectacular wins in Sochi, 2014, and Pyongchang, 2018._

 

_Unfortunately, her competitive career was sidelined following a car accident nearly two years ago, an event that also caused the tragic death of her fellow Team Russia figure skater, Alina Starkov. Nazyalensky spent a year recuperating from her injuries, during which she was rarely seen in the public eye._

 

_Nazyalensky’s return to competition at the National Championships resulted in a close win, and it is yet unclear how she will fare against international rivals. Will we witness another magnificent flight of the Little Dragon, or is this comeback doomed to disappoint?_

 

**_Ice Hockey: Men’s Competition_ **

****

**_A Sibling Rivalry_ **

 

 **_ Fun  fact _ ** **_:_** _Nikolai Lanstov, newly crowned captain of the French Men’s Ice Hockey Team, is not the only one in his family making headlines. His half brother Vasily has been stirring up trouble at home, claiming Nikolai to be a fraud._

 

_The brothers are known for their strained relationship, but rumor has it that Vasily may be present in the audience during his brother’s gold medal match. Will Vasily’s presence be a thorn in Lanstov’s side, or will these Winter Games lead to reconciliation? Either way, keep your eyes on the crowd!_

 

-‘-‘-

 

Zoya stamped the snow off of her boots before the entrance of the Athlete’s Village cafeteria. The building itself was uninspiring, but it served food that catered to the Olympian’s strict training diets and anything more appetizing was too far away to venture without security. At least the guards kept the press and fans away from their homes for the month.

 

She was taking a moment to breathe on her cold hands when she become aware of someone standing beside her.

 

“Amazing, isn’t it?” a deep, clearly male voice said.

 

Zoya turned to see a tall, blonde man with a child-like smile on his face, one gloved hand pointed at the Olympic torch across the square.

 

She glanced over him quickly, taking in his appearance like she’d been taught to size up competition. 

 

He was just over six foot in height, defined muscles under his Team France jacket, even though he was covered in an assortment of scarves and hats. Messy, coppery-gold hair, chocolatey hazel eyes, and a strangely familiar face. He was about her age, and he was not bad, not bad at all. 

 

“Let me guess,” she said, smirking underneath her scarf. “This is your first Olympics?”

 

The man went slightly pink, “Uh, yeah.”

 

“You get used to it, newbie.”

 

The man blushed harder still, his stance shifting slightly. Zoya ignored him as she continued to slip out of her outer layers. The combination of insulated jackets and overcrowded, overheated cafeteria would result in an uncomfortable personal sauna if she wasn’t careful.

 

She pushed her deep blue scarf down from her face and the man’s eyes widened. 

 

“You’re the Little Dragon!” he gasped, his tone filled with admiration. “I watched you win gold in Pyongchang. That last jump series was sensational! Almost as good as your routine in Sochi. I watched that with my roommates in college!”

 

Warmth rose in her cheeks and she quickly frowned to cover it. “Wow, that doesn’t make me feel old at all.”

 

“I didn’t mean to imply...” the man’s expression immediately shifted from awe to horror; and Zoya decided to take pity on him. It was clear that he was puppy, innocent and sweet.

 

“Don’t sweat it, newbie.”

 

The man inclined his head. “Even so, I apologize.”

 

His apology seemed genuine, at least. Maybe he wasn’t just another beefcake jock boy. Interesting...

 

“You’re from France, da?“ Her accent made the word sound more like ‘vour’ than you’re.

 

The question seemed to let the man bounce back from his clear embarrassment. “Yes. I’m Nikolai, Nikolai Lanstov. I’m in Men’s Hockey. It’s such an honor to meet you.”

 

He held out his hand to her and Zoya accepted, gently laying her small hand in his as she tried not to smile at his polite manners. Now she remembered where she had seen him before. His face was on all of the Chobani commercials she’d seen since arriving in the Olympic City. 

 

“Zoya Nazyalensky, Figure Skating. But you already knew that, clearly.”

 

Nikolai chuckled at that. It was a very warm sound, happy and clear. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was a fan.”

 

She couldn’t help smiling back at him. “This must be a big Games for you.” 

 

Nikolai winced. “You don’t know the half of it. I was born in Chamonix, you know, got my start playing for the local team before I moved to America for a while. There’s a lot of expectations, even before I was made captain.”

 

He glanced down at the ground, letting out a long, slow breath. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging.”

 

“Brag away. Being Captain is a huge honor for someone as young as you and I.”

 

He looked up sharply, his ears turning pink in the chilly air. Really, he was too fun to tease.

 

“Cheer up, newbie. So you got a big break. That’s what happens in sports.”

 

Nikolai’s pretty face flickered between apologetic and defensive. “I just don’t want to let anyone down.”

 

Zoya bit her lip against the cold, the shift in the conversation making her uncomfortable. “Yeah, I know the feeling.”

 

Nikolai murmured something in reply that she didn’t catch, and the silence stretched between them, broken only by the muffled chatter inside the cafeteria.

 

“Your accent isn’t very French.” Zoya said, the silence making her blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

 

“I spent a lot of time in America as a kid,” he replied, seeming grateful for the distraction. “When I returned to France, I spoke English with the most New Yorker accent imaginable. My teachers hated it.”

 

Zoya couldn’t help it, the image of an awkward teenage Nikolai sitting in a French classroom and being scolded by his teacher made her huff out a laugh. “That’s adorable.”

 

His eyes crinkled, every inch of him a cute, golden retriever puppy. “I try my best.”

 

Zoya swallowed hard, instantly reminded of another pair of warm brown eyes and spun-gold hair. Her heart clenched. 

 

“I’ll see you around, Nikolai.” She tried her best to keep her voice light and polite, but could hear the tremor that crept into the end.

 

She was turning for the doors when his voice stopped her again.

 

“I thought it was very brave of you to come back to competition. You know, after what happened. It must have been very hard.”

 

“Thanks,” She said, but she did not look back.

 

**_The Chamonix Winter Olympics Sum Up : Day Five_ **

****

**_Nazyalensky ‘Proud’ of her result._ **

 

_After months of rehabilitation and hard work, Zoya Nazyalensky (RUS) was crowned gold in the women’s figure skating finals, finishing just above newcomer Inej Ghafa (ENG) in her first Olympics._

 

_Ghafa transitioned from gymnastics to figure skating only two years ago, after a shoulder injury rendered her incapable of competing._

 

_When asked about the result at a post-event press conference, the ever-competitive Nazyalensky surprised onlookers by congratulating and thanking each of her competitors and coaches profoundly, something rarely seen from the notoriously cold skater. She said she was ‘happy with my result and my performance.’_

 

_When questioned further on her emotional state during the competition, Nazyalensky admitted that her late teammate and close friend, Alina Starkov, was frequently on her mind._

 

_“Honestly, I cannot think of a day during this Games that Alina hasn’t been on my mind. Her passing inspired my routine for the finals and this medal is dedicated to her.”_

 

‘Teammate.’ ‘Close friend.’

 

Zoya closed the news sight in disgust. It was true that she and Alina had always acted platonic and playfully competitive in public, and it was also true that they had never really publicized their relationship, but the ability of the press to completely miss the obvious always astounded her.

 

Still, at least the madness of the press conferences and interviews were mostly over with, leaving her free to enjoy the beauty of Chamonix’s many bars and frozen lakes and ponds in the lead up to the Closing Ceremony.

 

She was pulling on her gloves outside of the Athlete’s Village when she spotted Nikolai standing on the sidewalk, surrounded by a gaggle of chattering teenagers that she vaguely recognized as the American Figure Skating Team. They seemed to be asking him for autographs, which he was supplying readily, if a bit in surprise.

 

She only really recognized one of them, a tiny blonde girl who had taken bronze in the Finals, just below Zoya and Inej.

 

Zoya hung back, not wanting to interrupt, but then Nikolai spotted her standing in the shadow and waved cheerily, his handsome face splitting into a wide smile.

 

The team turned to see who he was waving at, and the tiny blonde one let out a shriek, one that Zoya didn’t understand, try as she might. Suddenly, she was surrounded by noisy teenage girls, each eagerly asking for her autograph in varying levels of Russian.

 

She scribbled something on each of the scraps of paper thrust at her, and even remembered to thank the pint-sized medalist for competing. As quickly as they had surrounded her, the girls ran off in a happy rabble.

 

Nikolai came striding over to her, his hands thrust into his pockets and a big grin splashed across his face.

 

“They seem to admire you.” She murmured as he drew near.

 

“Not nearly as much as they admire you.” His grin widened. Zoya finally finished pulling on her gloves. Contrary to rumor, she did not actually enjoy the cold in real life.

 

“Want to bet they have posters of you on their walls?” She jibed, smirking slightly.

 

“Right next to posters of you, I’m sure. They only like me for my looks.”

 

Zoya rolled her eyes, but she could not help the grin spreading across her face. She had forgotten what it felt like to be a role model. The thought was equally as terrifying as it was flattering.

 

“Congrats on your gold,” She said, nudging Nikolai with her elbow.

 

As predicted, Nikolai blushed a brilliant pink. “Thanks. Congrats on _your_ gold , I- uh, I saw your interview.”

 

Of course he had.

 

“How does it feel? Being the favorite son of France?”

 

Nikolai let out a long breath. “It’s a relief more than anything else. It was such a close game.”

 

“Which you deserved to win.”

 

“As did you.” Nikolai seemed to lean down towards her, then pulled back as if second guessing himself. “The way you told your story was...truly magnificent.”

 

Oh, the man did know how to charm. Zoya gave him another once over, assessing him again. Looks like a god, probably fucks like a god too.

 

“So,  _Sobachka_ , ” Zoya remarked, too casually as she used the new nickname she’d come up with.  _Puppy_. “I’m sure you’ve heard how wild the post-medal parties can get?”

 

Nikolai blinked, confusion flickering across his face before he caught her meaning. “I did hear something to that effect.”

 

“Well...” she let her voice drag, an unspoken promise lingering. “I can’t say how wild things could be, but would you like to grab a drink?”

 

Nikolai closed his mouth then reopened it, suddenly bearing a strong resemblance to a stunned haddock. “With you?”

 

“No, genius, with the woman standing behind me.”

 

He actually looked over her head, and Zoya was about to give the suggestion up as a lost cause when Nikolai came back to his senses. “Sorry, it’s just. You were my hero. You  are  my hero. I may have to hit myself.”

 

“You mean pinch yourself?”

 

Nikolai nodded vigorously. “That too.”

 

She rolled her eyes but took his arm all the same. “C’mon, Sobachka. Let’s get us some liquor.”

 

_**Rinkside Gossip** _

__

_**Nikolai Lanstov: Following His Heart?** _

 

_French captain Nikolai Lantsov has announced that he will be accepting a contract in the IHFR this upcoming season. While this will certainly come as a blow to France and his home team, Chamonix Foxes, it could be that Lanstov has more than a fat paycheck on his mind. Out sources have spotted him several times, sharing drinks with a certain Russian figure skater..._


	5. Decathlon

Nikolai Lanstov needed a nap. It was currently half past five on the last Friday before Ketterdam High’s spring break, and Nikolai is stuck in the hell that is Zoya’s mandatory decathlon practice. 

Kaz is even fading beside him, his chin resting on his cane and and his eyes fluttering from time to time. A quick glance behind their table gave Nikolai the impression that the rest of their team was also fading, and fading fast. 

Aleksander wasn’t even trying anymore, with his feet propped up on the desk, chair tipped back, and his head resting on the wall behind him. Everyone else was either propped up on their hand or forcing their eyes to stay open.   
  
“What is meant by the phrase ‘turn genes on’ or ‘turn genes off’?” Zoya asks from the pile of cards in her hands, the pile phenomenally smaller than when they started, but still hefty enough to knock someone out if thrown at their head. Nikolai is pretty sure she keeps the pile that big in case someone pisses her off.

Aleksander perks up suddenly, disrupting the already leaning tower of homework next to him. Zoya shoots him a ‘did-you-just-drool-on-your-shirt’ look before shutting down whatever comment he was going to make. “No, Alek, just no.” 

Aleksander pouts, slumping back into his seat. Per Haskell, who Nikolai notices has been thumbing through his phone for the past hour, gives a lazy thumbs up, as he has after every answer is given; as if Alek gave an answer worthy of congratulations. Zoya gives their teacher a watered-down version of her death glare, but moves on.

“Anyone?” No one, not even Nikolai. That has Zoya looking up, finally taking note of the pure exhaustion on everyone’s faces. Sighing heavily, she drops the cards into her table. “Fine, I guess you guys did alright. But I want everyone back here first Monday back, and we’re doing it all again.” 

Per Haskell perked up, “Are we done then, Miss Nazyalensky?” Their teacher was already grabbing his bags, his phone still clutched in his hand. Zoya rolls her eyes but agrees with a sharp nod, and tries not to look offended when the whole team sighs in relief (or cheers, in Alek’s case).

However, since Zoya become the fourth part of the quartet that had been Nikolai, Kaz, and Inej, he’d gotten pretty good at recognizing the slight differences between Zoya’s ‘I don’t care’ facial expressions. Taking a second to smile at Inej as she flips down from her perch in the chandelier, Nikolai hops up to join Zoya in collecting all the question cards back into a uniformly neat pile. 

“Thanks loser, but you can go. No need to act like you weren’t watching the clock.” Zoya murmurs, stuffing the card pile back into her rucksack. Nikolai notes that she’s added a few new Sharpie doodles to the side that look vaguely dragon shaped. “Didn’t you say you were supposed to intern today?” 

This had Nikolai looking up from her bag, “Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, I’ll have to see if Mr. Draco still wants me over.”

Zoya actually looks a little sad, or maybe...Nikolai squints at her, trying to make it look not obvious. Maybe that’s guilt? “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take up your work time.” 

“Huh?” Nikolai says, once again demonstrating his eloquence. Zoya arches a ridiculously perfect brow. “I mean, no, I get it, the team needed work, and Mr. Draco understands-“

“This again? Seriously Nipple, drop the act! No one believes you _actually_ work for Juris Draco!” Alek shouts across the still-emptying classroom, causing the team to pause from packing up, and the few who made it into the hall to tiptoe back and listen in. 

Luckily, Per Haskell was long gone. Nikolai didn’t really want to say anything, this entire thing with Alek was getting old. Zoya, however, had no such qualms.

“Aleksander, your obsession with Nikolai’s private conversations is getting concerning. If you can’t keep it in your pants, I’ll have to take this up with Radmakker and file a harassment claim.” Zoya drawls, crossing her arms casually as she leans against the teacher’s desk. A few of their team members chuckle and walk away, aware that Alek never has a comeback for Zoya’s cutting words. 

This time, however, was different.

“Shut your mouth, Nazyalensky. You’re just covering for him because you have a crush on the dweeb.” Alek announces almost proudly. Nikolai can almost feel the burning gazes of Kaz and Inej on the back of his head, but he’s frozen, staring at Alek with an expression akin to horror.

He could feel the temperature in the room drop ten degrees when Zoya turns her icy glare to Alek’s face. 

“Sorry, what.” 

Nikolai flinches away from his ~friend~, the venom in her voice making a shiver run down his spine. Alek looked slightly afraid but uncharacteristically stood his ground in front the scary girl.

“Yeah, you heard me. Everyone knows that you two are secretly dating, that’s the only reason Nipple is still on the team even though he’s missed almost every meeting this year.”

“Yeah? Well, he’s redirected himself to help the team, and unlike some members, Nikolai actually studies. And in case you didn’t know, which I know you do, I am not the one who gets to choose who’s on the team, Per Haskell is. If it was up to me, you would be kicked off the team with my shoe shoved so far up your-“

Zoya’s rant was cut off by the shrill ringtone of Nikolai’s phone. Zoya stops, Alek still looks scared, the rest of the team looks at his pocket, and Nikolai winces. “Um, can I-“

Zoya waves her hand. “By all means, loser. It’s not like I’m trying to stick up for you here.”

Nikolai looks over his shoulder at Kaz, but all his friend is good for is a shrug and a smirk that says ‘you’re on your own’. Nikolai looks back at Zoya, who is now burning a hole through his head. He bites his lip and checks his phone as quickly as possible, without using any of his demon speed.

_If it isn’t Nina, just leave it alone._ Luckily, it wasn’t Nina, but unluckily it was even worse. Mr. Draco’s face lit up the screen, prompting Nikolai to open the FaceTime call. 

Nikolai looks back at Zoya, who hasn’t moved a millimeter, but who’s face had gotten more stormy. “I’ll uh, I’ll just call them back later,” Nikolai says, receiving a nod from Zoya and an internal freak out from himself. He dismisses the call, trying very hard not to cringe when the phone immediately starts ringing again, Mr. Draco’s face lighting up the screen again.

“Oh for- give it!” Zoya reached over faster that Nikolai could even comprehend, (though the state of slight fear he was currently in could’ve had something to do with that), and snatches his phone from his hands. Nikolai watches her glance at the name on the screen and swipe to accept the call without even flinching. She holds the phone in front of her face, the practiced Zoya glare out in full force. 

Juris Draco’s voice comes out loud and clear, “Hey kid, you done with that nerd club yet?” Zoya doesn’t hesitate.

“Hello, Mr. Draco, Nikolai is still being spoken to by his captain who doesn’t appreciate trying to hold a conversation with him while also schooling an immature bully, all while his phone won’t stop ringing from his boss.” 

She smiles charmingly and continues, making Nikolai wince. “I believe your appointment time with my friend does not actually start until six this evening. And in that case, I wish to firmly remind you that Nikolai is still mine for another twenty-three minutes. Questions, comments, concerns?”

Zoya finishes her speech with a costumer-service-worthy smile that comes out much more shark-like than polite. The entire room is silent, including Nikolai’s phone. 

“Oh my god, Zoya.” Genya gasps from behind him, which kickstarts Nikolai into action, prompting him to jump for his phone. Zoya snatches his wrist out of the air, her grip almost painfully strong as she waits for an answer from Juris Draco.

There is a throat clearing, and then, “I accept your terms, however, may I speak with my intern for a moment, Miss...?”

Zoya nods decisively, “Nazyalensky. And yes, you may.” With that, Zoya passes the phone back to Nikolai, once again looking bored and smug. 

Nikolai takes the phone from her hand, still a little gobsmacked by what just happened. The rest of the room is just as quiet, so he was pretty sure everyone else was feeling the same as him. Nikolai turned the phone to face him, giving himself a view of the one and only Juris Draco, sitting in the back of a car, aquamarine-colored sunglasses perched on his nose, looking shocked, intrigued, and more than a little amused.

“Mr. Lanstov, at the insistence of your friend, it would seem that I need to stop bothering you for,” he paused to check his watch, “nineteen minutes.” 

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Draco, I’ll talk to Zoya about this, I promise.”

“Nah kid, I like her, why haven’t I met her yet? She’s a lot like that emo kid, Baz, right?”

Nikolai heard Kaz let out a scoff that was half contempt and half smugness, but Nikolai and Juris ignore him. “I’m sorry, I’ll be out in just a few minutes.”

“Eighteen minutes, loser.” Zoya says, not so quietly. Juris looks even more amused at the situation, and Nikolai can feel his ears getting redder. 

“Right, eighteen minutes,” Nikolai mumbles, ignoring the way both Zoya and Juris smirk at the same time.

“Did I mention that I like her? Why haven’t you told me about her, Niko? She’s like an angrier, smaller Elizaveta. She’s cute too, you think she’s cute?” Juris was rambling, but Nikolai knew he was doing so to embarrass Nikolai and piss off Zoya. “Hey, mini-Veta, you are welcome to come to the Tower whenever Niko has Baz and Inej over!”

This has Nikolai scrambling, “Mr. Draco, I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” 

Juris is still yelling, talking to Zoya like Nikolai isn’t even there, though the man has yet to move his silver eyes from his protege. “Maybe Veta will take you on as her intern! Holy shit, I am a genius! Niko, kid, we could each have an Elizaveta! Best idea I’ve ever had!” 

“Goodbye, Mr. Draco!” Nikolai almost shouts, punching the end-call button quickly to end his misery. The room is dead silent now, and once again, Nikolai realizes that this had been a less-than-private embarrassing conversation. 

Looking up, Nikolai grew red seeing the gawking faces of his teammates. Zoya was standing in front of him, arms crossed and toe tapping, a pleased smirk painted across her flawless face.

“I will allow you to give my number to Elizaveta Sankta if you tell Juris that I refuse to be the one to drag your ass out of bed like a child like she’s done for him for the past ten years.” And with that, Zoya grabbed her things calmly and walked out of the room, calling over her shoulder, “Pretty sure I dismissed you losers, it’s Spring Break, isn’t it?”

A few students did move, but most were still snickering at the spluttering Aleksander, who had yet to say much else but a quiet and resounding, “What the fuck?”


	6. Three Rows Over, Two Rows Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because doesn’t everyone need more of awkward college Nikolai in their life?

Three Rows Over, Two Rows Up

 

He didn’t notice her at first. The semester had been too overwhelming to notice such trivial things like stunning girls with mountains of books.

But when he did notice her, she was everything he thought about. Passing chemistry had nothing, absolutely nothing, on her.

At first it was just the ridiculous amount of books that she always seemed to have around her that drew his attention. And then he admired her incredible work ethic and single-minded focus. Nothing seemed to sway her from her work, ever. 

Unlike many other students in the library, she seemed to have no interest in using the stacks for purposes other than research. He’d also noted that she turned down all attempts at conversation, no matter who approached her.

He tried to force his eyes to his homework, but she was all he could look at.

Long, slender legs crossed under her table, her foot always bouncing along to whatever music played in her headphones. She always had her silken, black hair coiled into a graceful braid that showed off her caramel skin and high cheekbones.

Nikolai tried to limit the amount of time he spent observing her, he really did. He was not a creep, honestly. But it was like as soon as she walked into the library, his brain zeroed in on her. She consumed his very mind, leaving now room for nothing else. 

His grades were definitely reflecting his inability to focus on much else, unfortunately. He wanted to talk to her, but he couldn’t bring himself to face the rejection he was sure would follow.

He’d only walked past her sanctuary once, really, it was the most efficient path to the nauticals, so he couldn’t abound entering her orbit. The walk seemed to stretch for eons until suddenly he was there, walking past her. He allowed himself to gaze out of his peripheral vision at first. But then she looked up to find a book amongst the stacks, and he could help but take in her face fully.

She was like the late night moon, graceful and distant, casting her gaze all around, bringing purpose to everything she touched. Her effortless beauty utterly wrecked him. Her sink was smooth and glowed in the warm light, her lips full and kissable. And her eyes, her eyes had such enormous depth, like staring into a night’s sky of deepest blue.

It took him an embarrassingly long second to realize that she had met his gaze and was staring back at him. He’d never looked away faster in his life. He decided he wouldn’t walk past her again after that encounter.

Suddenly, after she’d caught him staring, he started seeing her everywhere. At the cafe, in his anatomy class, even once at the laundromat. The worst was two nights ago, at a frat party, where she walked in looking like a sin in a slinky silver dress, dancing with a stunning redhead with golden eyes.

Nikolai had barely slept since then. It had been bad enough when every waking moment was consumed by her, but now she tormented his dreams too.

He groaned. Even a freezing cold shower that morning had done nothing for him. Nikolai shoved aside his books, unable to focus, and his head pounding with frustration. If this kept up, he’d never make it into Political Sciences. He slid his phone out of his pocket, allowing himself five minutes to fuck around before he would recommit to finishing his essay.

Nikolai flipped through his social media for a bit before pulling up Ravkan Eagle Anonymous. Tolya had shown him it a couple of months ago, and since then, it had become his secret guilty pleasure.

Students all over campus used the site like a online notice board. Most of the time it was to anonymously hit on other students, meet for hookups, or tell professors where they could stick their assignments, but occasionally the messages were sweet or downright strange. Nikolai enjoyed reading those the best.

_To the person who left a ten on their seat in Ravkan History, sorry I was hungry. Totally bought a pizza with it tho, so thanks._

_Someone tell Professor Brum that he’s a masochistic, homophobic, bastard. Love from Section 3B._

_To the cute blonde stud in Ethics 101, I would do you in a minute if you talked to me._

_Hey golden-haired puppy, quit staring and come say hi or something. It’s getting weird. Signed, three rows over and two rows up._

The last one had Nikolai’s breath catching, and his heart skipping. His head shot up and he scanned the nearby tables, counting quickly. Sure enough, the stunner’s table was three rows over and two rows up. 

He gulped, his palms suddenly sweaty. Apparently he hadn’t been as subtle as he’d thought he was.

The girl gave him a mischievous smile when she noticed him sitting there, utterly gobsmacked. She winked one large, blue as anything, eye at him, and walked away from her seat in a way that could only be described as a strut. All the way back to the last row of shelves.

Nikolai was so completely  _screwed_.


End file.
